What we loved best were the trapeze silhouettes of the coats in greys, blacks and moss green, as well as their sunglasses, (very) large Caryalls, and their cool use of buckles and zips.

1.00
Lunch at the Trussardi cafe
Every fashion house worth its salt opens a cafe, restaurant, hotel or bar in Milan. We had just enough time to grab a quick lunch between shows. We sat within a glass-enclosed outdoor terrace under a suspended garden, which they call their Garden Project – a living wall of 120 plants. We dig.

1.30 pm
We're at the John Varvatos showroom, for an interview with a rather relaxed looking Varvatos, four hours before his show. He talks to us about his Detroit roots, his obsession with rock and roll, and his plans for the next year.
PS – He promises to visit India soon.

2.30 pm
Dolce & Gabbana
We were in a packed house for the Dolce & Gabbana show with the pavement outside overrun by street style bloggers. The show started fashionably late, of course. When it did start, awkward, stiff Sicilian boys walk solemnly to rousing cinematic scores and Church music. White blousons, Christian iconography, cinched high-waist pleated pants cropped at the ankle and cross-stitch floral blooms (that we're sure will repeat themselves in the women’s collection) are everywhere. It was an ode to devotion.

4.30 pm
Burberry Prorsum
Against the simple but effective backdrop of Its London HQ, the boys of Burberry walked out in a really strong collection that focused heavily on outerwear, from the classic trench and duffel, to topcoats, Chesterfields and bombers. Bailey was clearly having some fun, though, with the whimsical heart print appearing everywhere, including as lining on lightweight rubber trenches. Backstage we met Tinie Tempah (in Burberry of course)

6.00 pm
John Varvatos
Set against a beautifully frescoed church the John Varvatos collection was a brooding version of rock and roll – wonderfully dark and mysterious. We loved the shoes with the moss green velvet inserts and his clever use off buckles, zip and lace.

8.00 pm
Dinner at Corso Como 10. But of course! This was no ordinary boutique. It's a Milanese institution.

Day Two
Sunday, Jan 13

9.30 am
Bottega Veneta
Ignoring the previous night's revelry, we were (not so) bright and early at Bottega Veneta's cruelly timed show. In his show notes Tomas Maier said he wanted to keep things classic with as little fuss as possible – and classic luxe it was. The devil, though, lay in the detail: high-peaked lapels, concealed closures on slim coats, wrap funnel necklines and covered buttons. The colour palette was that of classic winter menswear – camel, black, navy and grey.

Meanwhile the bags for this Fall continue to be massive: there were alligator skin document cases, flat-bottomed overnighters and, naturally, woven totes.

12.30pm
Salvatore Ferragamo
It was raining outside... had it followed us inside? They had us fooled for a second there. The backdrop for the runway was a rainy Manhattan by night, with rain splashing over the audio system, too. Slick and rakishly beautiful and continuing the focus that we've seen so far on classics, the collection was an ode to outerwear in its myriad guises. If you were looking for surprises a la S/S 13, though (who can forget that colour palette), you might be disappointed.

3 pm
Vivienne Westwood
The grand dame of British fashion chose to highlight the issues of climate change via models with bruised eyes and puffed lips, looking like they'd just come in from a fight. The fashion: low-crotched pants, morning coats, fluorescent orange lace-ups and an all-yellow houndstooth ensemble, complete with face mask. Revolutionary slogans calling for attention to the crisis were printed on white T-shirts.

6 pm
Prada
The stage was set up to look like multiple living room sets with each living room facing atrompe l'oeil window to the world – like a mashup between a design museum and a home decor store. The collection consisted of some extremely translatable (from runway to daily fashion) looks, that could work both as entire looks and as separates. There were lots of checks, and plaids in a palette that was winter, but not in the least bit sombre: light blue, yellow and red. There was whimsy too: The shirts, some with ruffles and ribbons, were worn askew, one point of a collar was left tucked into a sweater while the other was left out. What caught our attention: the oversized, chunky ultra shoes, almost clog like. The pants were kept short – ensuring all the eyeballs were on the shoes!

Of course the nature of the winding runway meant only a few of us got to see that most influential of fashion designers – Miuccia Prada as she came to take a bow (probably just the way she planned it). It had half the room stand up and crane their necks for a glimpse.

11.00
Calvin Klein after party
Sadly we missed the Ellie Goulding performance but the party was on full swing when we got there. Between a barely clad DJ and even scantily clothed Go-Go dancers, it was just another night in Milan.

Day Three
Monday, Jan 14

10.30 am

We met with Massimiliano Giornetti, the creative head at Salvatore Ferragamo, on the terrace of the company's HQ. A charming, well-spoken man with clear ideas on the brand's role in shaping the fast-changing face of menswear.

12.30 pm
Gucci

It seemed like all of Milan was at the Gucci show: we only just managed to squeeze in. We loved the unusual winter palette: Robin's egg blue, ochre, orange and burnt red – a great change from the season's sway of greys. Lots of tweed and Prince of Wales checks in micro and maxi scale referenced the British dandy. What was also interesting was Frida Giannini's take on the tux – she designed them in pinstriped tweed and printed silk jacquard – a far cry from the conventional tuxedo.

2.00 pm
Etro

Animal prints ahoy! Etro this season was all about sumptuous fabric and colour, and plenty of exotic skin and fur. An ode to the world traveller, influences for this season's outing came from as far as the Himalayas, Japan and Northern Europe. Also, we have never seen so many Asian models in one show. In fact, there has been some interesting re-examination of the traditional runway model aesthetic over the last couple of menswear seasons. We approve.

4 pm
Canali

On display was a strong play on classics, with a bit of British gentlemanly style thrown in. Think double breasted coats in plush velvet, heavy tweed jackets, waistcoats and slim pants. Scarves in printed silk completed the picture. As always, the Canali models drew attention. While other fashion houses casted fresh-faced boys, Canali sent out strapping men.

4.30
Tod's presentation

Villa Necchi, a stunning Thirties mansion (complete with gardens, an outhouse, a courtyard, marble garden statues and a swimming pool) set in the heart of chaotic Milan, was the perfect setting for the Tod's Fall 2013 presentation. If only it were summer, we might even have had a swim. Incidentally, the villa plays itself in the 2010 film I Am Love, also starring Tilda Swinton.

Day 4
Tuesday, January 15

9.30 am
DSquared2

Only at Fashion Week can one see people look so put together at 9.15 am, but then again, DSquared2 is worth the effort. Recalling the nonchalant elegance of Jazz Age musicians (there was even a jazz ensemble standing at the back of the runway), the collection was devoted to Scat Cat style. Titled "La nouvelle noir" - no mere coincidence that all the models were black - the collection was a breath of fresh air from the heavy duty, serious winter lines and included worn denim, waistcoats, suspenders, chunky cardigans and classic double breasted overcoats. In true Dean and Dan style, the show ended with a spectacle: the models stripped down to their long johns. The audience couldn't get enough.

PS - Those musicians in the background were dummy jazz cats. They didn't play a single note.

10.30 am
Giorgio Armani

Armani returned to what he excels at: the suit. Also in the collection were structured leather coats, black velvet evening jackets edged in blue silk, and water-resistant hooded parkas with fur lining - a strong and precise aesthetic. There were claps all through the show (not something that's common) underscoring the fact that when it comes to classic Italian menswear, Giorgio Armani is the undisputed king.

11.30 pm
Diesel Black Gold

Very rock and roll, this. With shearling, military shoes and lots of gold and velvet, the Diesel Black Gold collection was dark and edgy. Bombers and biker jackets in shiny fabrics completed the picture.

The close to Milan Fashion Week felt rather anticlimactic. No drum roll. No speech thanking everyone for coming. No party. Oh well, that's it for the season folks.